The RoyEd Christmas Drabbles
by DrummerDancer
Summary: A series of drabbles/oneshots revolving around Roy and Ed during the holiday season.
1. Train Delay

Title: Train Delay  
Author: drummerdancer  
Series: AU  
Characters/Pairings: Roy/Ed  
Word Count: 357  
Rating: T  
Summary: Edward struggled to catch trains when Roy was involved.

* * *

"I really need to go, Roy…"

"Just a little longer…"

"No…I seriously have to—_ah!_"

Edward let out a broken gasp as he felt teeth graze his nipple. He cursed under his breath, hating the fact that no matter how much he protested, no matter how much he said he _didn't_ want to do it…his body reacted anyway, like electricity dancing across an invisible wire.

Snow was falling outside the bedroom window, blanketing the dark streets below with slick white dust. Edward was dreading the moment he would have to leave the heat of the apartment and venture out into the chill of the night, how his limbs would ache and his skin would chap and break like dirt baking in the desert. The thought sent a chill down his side as he felt hands ghosting over his crotch, reaching for his thick brown belt.

"Roy…I've got a train to catch," he moaned, sticking his hands out weakly to try to stop the older man.

"We've still got time," the other man muttered, choosing to ignore the hands and fondle Ed through his pants.

Edward groaned in pleasure as he felt more blood head south from his head. His shirtless form was laying flat on the bed, legs pulled up and around Roy's, giving the man perfect access to what he wanted. Ed's resistance was crumbling like ice under foot, breaking away in chunks as his groin began to ache with need. It was his weakness, he thought dimly, as he eventually gave in and rested his hands on the sheets.

"Fine…but hurry up. I've missed three trains already because of you."

Roy smirked, a look of pure contentment coming to life on his face. "And you thought those times were accidents?"

Edward scowled. "Bastard..."

But even though he knew that they didn't really have time, that he would probably miss another train because of Roy, Edward couldn't for the life of him bring himself to care. For, at the moment, wrapped in sheets of red and looking out onto a beautiful winter's night, Edward realized there was nowhere else he'd rather be.


	2. Stranger Danger

Title: Stranger Danger  
Author: drummerdancer  
Series: AU  
Characters/Pairings: Roy/Ed  
Word Count: 919  
Rating: T  
Summary: There was somebody in the apartment.

* * *

Collapsing against the wall in the dark entryway, Edward sluggishly raised a hand to his face as he wiped at the sweat beading down his forehead. His back was sore, his limbs were sore, hell, even his automail felt sore!

He grimaced as he slowly pushed off the wall, intent on taking a much needed shower so much so that he almost missed a glowing red out of the corner of his eye.

He stopped; it was almost eleven o'clock at night. The apartment was pitch black when he entered, and he hadn't heard anything or anybody moving around.

Edward felt the first wave of exhaustion leave his body and replace itself with alertness as he silently brought his hands out in a fighting stance. The light was coming from the kitchen, a place he was sure hadn't been lit up when he had left earlier in the day. Which meant…

Somebody was in the apartment.

The last of his tiredness flew out the window, his body strung tight like a chord as he tried to silently creep towards the room. Edward was sure the intruder knew he was home; he hadn't exactly been quiet in the entryway, and he definitely slammed the door on his way in.

But the point was not to pretend he wasn't home; no, that was a lost cause. He was going to have to use force and fight the bastard the Ed Elric way.

Rounding the corner, Edward sensed movement heading for the doorway. He slid down the opposing wall, waiting for the moment he came into view. And, not a moment later, he pounced, lunging for the legs of the stranger as he brought him to the floor.

"Wh—_ahhh!"_

Heart pounding loud in his head, the cry of the man Edward tackled fell on deaf ears. His pulse was racing, adrenaline soaring through his veins as he quickly rolled to his knees and straddled the man, grabbing his wrists and pinning them beside the sides of his head.

"I've got you!—wait, _Roy?"_ Edward looked down in confusion. In his head, the man he'd tackled would be decked out in all black clothing with a ski mask and revolver to match. Instead, the figure clutching his head below him was Roy Mustang, wearing a red dress shirt and black slacks without a weapon in sight.

"Edward! What the hell…" he moaned, a swollen bump taking shape beneath his forehead.

Embarrassment immediately flooded Ed's face as he quickly got up and helped the man to his feet. "I—uh…sorry," he mumbled, cheeks tinged a bright red. Dimly, the memory of Roy telling him earlier in the day that he was coming over for dinner floated through Ed's mind, but the information was already past due.

Scratching his head, Edward gave Roy his best 'whoops I screwed up again' look, to which Roy ignored as the older man scowled and walked towards the refrigerator for some ice.

"I think this is a sign we need to cut back on your field assignments," Roy scolded, reaching into the freezer with a cloth as he grabbed a few ice cubes. "A normal person wouldn't tackle their significant others as a greeting."

"I forgot you were coming over," Edward replied, his sheepish expression fading as he glanced around the kitchen table. His earlier curiosity about a red light was answered as he stared in awe at the beautiful red lights littering the inside of a plastic vase set on the table. The glow was reflected on all the glasses and place-settings around the table, giving his once plain Jane kitchen a warm, homey feel.

"Wow…when did you do all this?"

Roy came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "While you were off fighting thieves of the night, apparently."

Guilt came back to him full-force. "Look Roy, I'm sorry that I—"

Roy held up a hand. "No need to apologize. Besides…" a mischievous look crossed his face, "I'm more than certain you'll make up for it _tonight."_

Blushing, Ed only rolled his eyes and muttered 'bastard' before turning back to the table. "Yeah yeah…so uh…what's with all the decor?"

Roy shrugged. "I just thought we'd do something nice for a change. Is that a problem?"

Edward immediately shook his head. While he didn't usually care one way or another how the place looked, there was something nostalgic about these kinds of decorations. It made him long to see his mother sitting with him by the fire, curled up in a blanket with hot chocolate as she read him and Al bedtime stories. Such times were long gone, but he couldn't help the warm yet bittersweet feelings they gave him.

Smiling wistfully to himself, Ed tore his eyes away from the place settings and back to Roy with a slight frown. "Okay…but where's the food?"

As if right on cue, the doorbell rang, a sound that both of the men were quite acquainted with this late at night. Grinning madly, Ed asked, "Takeout?" and Roy nodded his head with an equally outlandish grin. And again, the tugs of nostalgia crept into Ed's eyes, causing his grin to widen into a genuine smile. Home-cooked food was great and all, but nothing beat tradition.

And, as he rested in Roy's arms later that night, the thought that this, too, would be nostalgic in years to come made him all the more content to stay exactly where he was.


	3. Sugar Covered Cherries

Title: Sugar Covered Cherries  
Author: drummerdancer  
Series: AU  
Characters/Pairings: Roy/Ed, Winry, mentions of Al  
Word Count: 400 total (100:100:200)  
Rating: T  
Summary: Sugar plums were disgusting.

* * *

Edward looked up when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Winry was standing there, and she was holding…

"What the hell are those?"

"They're sugar plums," she replied.

He looked at them a moment and frowned. Winry was holding what appeared to pinkish colored cherries with sugar all around the outside. He'd never seen nor eaten anything like it before.

"Wanna try one?"

"Eh…okay."

Slipping off his glove, Edward snatched one and threw it into his mouth, then immediately spit it out. The damn thing tasted like pure cane sugar!

Scowling, Edward left to get some real food.

* * *

The holidays were fast approaching, and Edward had absolutely no clue what to get Roy. They'd only been seeing each other a couple of months…weren't there 'proper gift' guidelines he was supposed to follow?

He scowled, shaking his head as he passed another display window. All these damn rules about etiquette and the like were annoying. Why couldn't they just get rid of this stupid holiday?

Passing another window, Edward stopped when something caught his eye. Peering close against the glass, the sugar-coated cherries that Winry had were wrapped in clear paper. Grinning evilly, Edward entered the store.

* * *

"Thanks for the sweater, Roy." Edward ran his hand one more time over the soft fabric before laying it on the armrest. "Now it's your turn."

Reaching down beside the couch, Edward produced a brightly colored package the size of a tissue box. Al had insisted on wrapping the candy in something nice, and really, who was Ed to say no to his younger brother?

Roy unwrapped the gift, his expression bewildered.

"What are these?"

"Sugar plums; try one!"

Roy opened the clear paper and bit into a candy. His face immediately turned sour, and he spit it out.

"What is this, pure cane sugar?" he scowled, grimacing at the taste.

Edward grinned. "Pretty much."

Roy frowned. "Why did you—"

"Because I think you're _so sweet_."

Roy stared for a long moment, then said very seriously, "Edward Elric, I am hereby relieving you of your gift-giving duties. Effective immediately, you shall—"

"Yeah yeah," Edward waved, cutting him off as he shifted in his seat. "Save the details. Besides, that wasn't your actual gift anyway."

Sitting up, Edward swung one leg over Roy's, gripping the man's collar as he licked his lips.

"So…are you ready for your real present?"


	4. The Gift of Giving

Title: The Gift of Giving  
Author: drummerdancer  
Series: AU  
Characters/Pairings: Roy/Ed, mentions of other(s)  
Word Count: 2100 total (100:100:500:100:1300)  
Rating: T  
Summary: In which Roy enlightens Ed on the gift of sending holiday cards.

* * *

"We are _not _sending holiday cards!"

"Now, c'mon Ed…"

"No; _I'm serious!"_ Edward pushed the stack of blank cards off the coffee table, not even bothering to watch as they scattered across the floor. He stood up, fists clenched, body tense. "Send them addressed from you and you _alone; _I refuse to sign them."

Hurt was etched clear as day on Roy's face, but right then, Edward didn't give a damn. Grabbing his jacket from the armrest, Ed slung it over his shoulder and headed for the door.

"Wait, Ed—!"

Edward slammed the door, his destination unknown even to him.

* * *

He wandered street after street, his eyes unseeing as his head spun with emotions. He didn't even know why he was so mad; after all, most normal people sent cards during the holidays, right? It wasn't completely outrageous or anything that Roy, too, would also want to send them.

But deep down, Edward knew it was something more than that. Something inside of him was at odds with it, with_all of this_, like just the thought of him being all domestic-y and happy was a problem in and of itself.

He crossed another street, lost to the world.

* * *

Up ahead, a single store light glowed warmly against the darkening sky. Edward felt his stomach rumble, and he quickly hurried in. A single waitress greeted him immediately, and he ordered a sandwich with some coffee as he found a seat by a window.

The place was deserted save for a couple across the aisle from him. He dropped his head in his hand and watched as they conversed with one another. They seemed happy, all lovey-dovey and shit, holding hands like there was no tomorrow. He wondered why he couldn't be like that.

The waitress came by with his meal not five minutes later, and Edward was quick to take a bite as he watched the other table. The man had his hand over the woman's, his face unhindered and easy like an open book. He smiled as she said something to him, his eyes never leaving hers.

Edward wondered if not for the thousandth time why he couldn't be like that with Roy. Sure, they were 'seeing' each other in the romantic sense, but was he ever completely open like that? Hell no, he wasn't! In fact, most of the time his emotions were in one of two settings; peaceful, and pissed. And even then, his definition of 'peaceful' was shallow at best; it only took a jab or two about his height and he'd go off the deep end.

Signing to himself, Edward looked away. He did _feel_ other emotions; happiness, sadness, all the ones other people felt. But all of that was done in private. Only Al saw that side of him, and as of late, Edward hadn't seen him very often.

He sat back and subconsciously dug into his pocket. As he flipped the lid of his watch, he thought again about the holiday cards. They weren't a big deal…really they weren't! But deep down…they were.

The image of his late mother came to mind as he stared at the old engraving. As far as he knew, her parents had died long ago, leaving her abandoned and without any relatives. She hadn't had very many holiday cards to send out. In fact…

She had only sent one every year. To his father.

Slamming his watch shut roughly, Edward cursed bitterly. He could still remember every year that went by, when the holidays approached, and she would round up him and Al and get their chicken-scratch signatures together on a card with hers. In later years, she even included a picture of the three of them, all smiling and giggling.

The last one they'd taken had been an act; by that time, Edward had come to accepted that his bastard of a father was never coming back, and doing this mundane ritual was only a reminder of that pain. Sure, he had grinned and whatnot, for the sake of his mother's happiness, but deep down…he had been angry.

Downing the last of his food, Edward laid his cenz down and left.

* * *

The walk back to Roy's was a slow one. At first, he'd debated whether to go back at all, seeing as how he had left so rudely. But he also didn't want Roy to worry about him, no matter how bad things got. Especially since this fight had all been one-sided and started by him.

He kicked a loose pebble and watched it skirt against the broken sidewalk. He'd probably never be as open and as honest as he'd like to be, but if Roy still wanted him anyway, Edward owed it to the man to at least try.

* * *

Opening the apartment door as quietly as he could, Edward noticed the lamp light from the living room was still on and ablaze. He walked in, careful to seem as put together as he could while inside, his emotions stewed.

"You're back," came a soft voice. "Wasn't sure if I'd see you again or not tonight."

Edward glanced at the other man. Roy was sitting in the same position he had been earlier, though a steaming mug of coffee on the table indicated the man had indeed moved since then. That made him feel a little better; he would've felt like a total asshole if Roy had simply stayed exactly where he was the entire time.

Still, not all of the guilt was washed away by that observation. Edward's shoulders lowered slightly as he bowed, a courtesy he was all too used to performing in the office.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he muttered, closing his eyes as he waited. Apologies weren't really his thing, and neither he nor Roy expected him to elaborate.

Roy was silent. A sudden trickle of unease washed down Edward's spine. What if he'd really screwed up this time? Was Roy secretly furious at him? Was this it between them, was it all over?

Footsteps came his way as he looked up in time to see Roy pushing his shoulders back to a straight up position, his hands coming to rest there as he looked at Edward.

"It's okay; don't apologize." Roy looked at him with an unreadable look before continuing, his voice low. "I…I get it, okay? Being with me isn't the most…_conventional_ thing in the world, so I understand that you feel wei—"

Shock rippled through Ed's system, and he almost would've laughed if not for the severity of Roy's voice. Is _that_what the man thought this was about? Their _relationship?_

"No, no, that's not it! I don't have a problem with _this_—" Edward made a back-and-forth motion between their bodies, not caring to elaborate with words, "—so don't worry about that, okay? I promise I'm fine."

Now looking absolutely befuddled, Roy took a step back and removed his hands. "Then why were you so upset earlier? What's the problem with the holiday cards? Do you just not _like_ to celebrate the holidays?"

Edward blushed and looked away. "No, no…that's not it either."

"Then wha—"

"It's my father!" he burst out suddenly, his whole body stiff and uncomfortable as he frowned. "My mom…she used to send out one card every year…and it was always to him. We never got anything in return; no cards, no pictures, no _nothing_. And it's just…sending a card now feels so wrong…like, what if we don't get anything back? I just…I don't know if I could handle it." Edward finished and immediately wanted to take the words back. He'd never told anybody, not Teacher, not Al, nobody. And now…he'd just said it all so awkwardly to Roy…

Childishly, Ed wanted to run away, but before he could even think about it, he felt his shoulders being grabbed once again, though this time he was being held, chest-to-chest with Roy. He sucked in his breath, not knowing how the man was going to react or what he was going to say. After all, now that he'd said it all, it sounded completely_ridiculous_.

"I'm sorry; that was stupid," he muttered, not knowing what to say. He hated feeling like this, so exposed and open, like Roy could see into his brain or something. At least when he was angry, he had control over the situation; now, he simply waited, not knowing what to do.

Roy breathed deeply against his chest, one hand smoothing through his hair while the other one rubbed a circle into his lower back. It was nice, soothing even, something his mom would've done while he was little. He leaned into the touch, his unease slowly slipping away.

Finally, Roy spoke.

"You know, growing up, I _never _got any holiday cards…my biological parents were gone, and they just didn't 'do' cards at the orphanage. But then, when my late father's sister stepped in…everything changed." Roy looked away for a moment, a look of fondness gracing his face.

"She loved everything. She loved her job, she loved her friends, and she _especially _loved the holidays. We used to prepare for them like you wouldn't believe. We'd make sugar cookies, decorate dozens of trees…and I can't even begin to count how many times I wrote my name down on those damn cards. The first year, I was so sore I couldn't write for a week!" He looked down again, this time meeting Ed's eyes.

"For all those years, I thought it was silly and a complete waste of time. After all, the cards we received in return were barely a fraction of the ones we sent out; why even bother, I used to say. In fact…" he grinned, "I even asked her that."

His grin turned wistful, like he was recalling the experience for the first time in front of Ed. He watched, fascinated, as Roy closed his eyes and continued.

"She said the point of giving was not to receive, and in fact, she didn't ever expect to receive anything in return. For her, the thought that sending those cards might brighten someone's day, even if only for a fleeting second, was a gift in and of itself. In fact, she thought _she was selfish_ because she got so much enjoyment out of picking out the cards and designing the inside and such. It made her happy; it still does, even to this day."

Roy smiled, looking directly into Ed's eyes. "And it makes me happy, too, because I'm selfish like that as well. I have so much to be thankful for, and sending cards is one of the ways I can spread that happiness around to others. It might not seem like much…but to some, it's the world."

Edward was speechless, his jaw hanging slack as he gaped at Roy. He'd never _ever_ thought of it like that. For him, giving cards was like equivalent exchange; you give one, you get one. Except that debt had never been paid by his old man, not once. But, his mother _had _always sent them, regardless. Maybe she had understood that too?

Edward looked away for a moment, his insides curling as his cheeks flushed. He was feeling neither peaceful nor pissed at the moment, and he wasn't really sure what to do. In fact…he felt enlightened, something that he'd only ever felt while reading books. But this, this knowledge that Roy had bestowed upon him…it was eye-opening.

"Um…," he trailed, again a loss for words. What should he do? What should he say?

"It's okay if you still don't want to do cards. I get it; it's not for every—"

"No; wait! I do want to do the card thing! Here—" Edward rushed over to the coffee table and bent down, scooping up all the unsigned cards from earlier. "We can start right now!"

Roy glanced at the clock on the bookshelf. "Edward, it's half past midnig—"

"Don't care! We're doing this now!" He sat down on the couch, stacking the cards neatly as his hand found a discarded ink pen. Looking expectantly up at Roy, Edward patted the seat next to him. "Well?"

Looking all too pleased with himself, though thankfully not as smug as usual, Roy sat down next to him, pointing out how and where and to who each card was going to, all the while with Edward grinning and smiling, a feeling of elatedness he'd rarely felt.

All because of some dumb holiday cards.


	5. The Ugly Truth

Title: The Ugly Truth  
Author: drummerdancer  
Series: AU  
Characters/Pairings: Roy/Ed, Winry  
Word Count: 1600 total (11x100, then 200+300)  
Rating: T  
Summary: In which Ed falls and Roy learns the ugly truth.

* * *

He really should've seen it coming.

As Roy continued to scoop ice into the cloth towel on the kitchen counter, he briefly reflected on what had led up to the current situation.

They had been walking home, same as they always did after dinner. Snow was falling steadily, leaving some particularly slick spots in their path. Several times, Edward had almost fallen, his automail freezing up and making it hard to walk. Roy had offered to hold his hand so he didn't fall—honest he had!—but Edward had refused, every time.

Which is why he had eventually fallen anyway.

* * *

It was only when Roy finally got Edward seated and situated on the couch did they check the extent of what happened. From what Roy had seen, Ed had simply tripped and fallen on the steps, catching himself on his hands which were fine save for the initial cold.

But Edward had insisted he check his knees, particularly the automail one, so Roy did—or at least, he tried to. Leather pants, as it turned out, weren't the easiest things to roll up from the ankles, and in the end, Roy simply had to take them off from the waist.

* * *

Edward bitched and moaned the entire time Roy itched the pants off, and as soon as they were discarded, Roy discovered why. His flesh leg had all sorts of discoloration and bruising on his knee, causing Roy to question how much ice had really been on the stone steps. But his concern immediately tripled as he turned to the other leg, a steel prosthetic that should've shown no signs of wear and tear.

Instead, his eyes saw a giant crack that ran from shin to knee, a canyon inside what should've been solid steel. He immediately went for the phone.

* * *

The phone lines to Resembool were dead from the snow, leaving Roy slightly panicked. Ed was in a lot of pain, he was sure; his stumps had begun to ache long before they had left the restaurant that night, and the temperature outside had only continued to decrease. That, combined with his bruised leg and broken automail, wasn't a good combination.

Roy put a makeshift icepack together and headed for the living room, grabbing his ignition gloves off the coffee table on his way. It seemed contradictory, getting Ed ice while building a fire, but…what else could he do?

* * *

The fire was lit soon after, and after he'd fetched a red blanket, the two of them had sat on the couch, Ed's legs in Roy's lap. Roy simply held the icepack on Ed's flesh knee, not knowing how or what he could do for the automail. They'd never really discussed the possibility that this might happen, that Ed might break it while staying with him. He didn't dare touch it without permission, though; he had a feeling Edward would bite his head off at the contact.

So instead, he sat there, listening to Ed's breathing, wondering what to do.

* * *

They finally got through to Resembool two days later, after the storm had cleared and the phone lines had been restored. Winry had sounded furious on the phone, but her immediate willingness to come there gave Roy much needed comfort. If she had refused…he wasn't sure what he would've done.

Hanging up, Roy glanced over at the couch. Edward had camped out there the past two nights, refusing to come to bed with him and rebuffing his offer to share the couch. As such, Roy had gone to bed alone, the emptiness settling in.

Edward had stayed quiet since.

* * *

When Winry had finally arrived, Roy could've thanked the stars and the sky. Finally, he had the solution, the one person who could fix everything!

He followed her into the lounge, anxious to get this thing fixed. Edward had been silent, simply laying there on the couch and nodding to his questions like a zombie, no emotion at all.

It had been unnerving, and his bed at night had been a frozen hell without him.

So it came like a punch in the gut when, after all his eager anticipation, Edward looked at him crossly and said, "Go somewhere else."

* * *

He had left the house, heart sombre and slightly hurt, but nonetheless fine in principle. He knew the automail was a personal thing for Ed; of their many nights together, nothing struck him more than how, more often that not, Edward tried to keep his clothes on. At first, Roy had genuinely thought Ed forgot they were still on, like they felt like a second skin to him or something.

But the trend kept emerging at random, like something secondary beyond Roy's scope was triggering it. So instead, he said nothing, for what could he say to make it okay?

* * *

The automail was done by the time he got back. Roy had visited the grocery store and picked up dinner for the three of them that evening. Ed was bouncing around and happy, his usual self already back in full force. He stretched easily, extending his arms lazily overhead, then announced that he was leaving to take a shower.

Ed left the room, leaving Roy alone with Winry, who looked slightly haggard but pleased even so. A sudden thought occurred to him, and he was quick to act on it.

"Winry, could I have a word with you…?"

She nodded.

* * *

He told Winry how Ed had acted, going into great detail about how withdrawn and uncaring he had seemed, how simply uncharacteristically cold he had acted towards Roy. Winry looked at him curiously, recognition not in her eyes.

"He's never acted that way in front of me," she said, her voice dismissive and sure.

And Roy believed her as, in the back of his mind, a bleak fact began to take root, shattering all he had thought they'd accomplished, all that they had bonded and laughed over, breaking it apart until it was an ugly truth.

Ed didn't trust him.

* * *

Dinner went without a hitch, though Roy's mask of feigned contentment was a thin one under the burden of his new knowledge. Edward laughed like nothing had ever been wrong, and Winry was relevant and kept the conversation going while Roy added little. He barely touched his food, which the other two thought was delicious, a sure sign that something was deeply wrong.

They both saw Winry off at the train station before making their way home. It was silent for the most part, though Roy hoped Ed thought it was a comfortable one.

For he just couldn't pretend anymore.

* * *

That night, Edward clamored up next to him in bed, his sleeveless shirt and boxers covering him. And when he initiated the first kiss, Roy returned it, his mind desperate to believe his theory wasn't true.

But he had to know.

So, when Ed straddled his lap and startled taking things deeper, Roy slid his hands up Ed's sides, pushing the shirt up as he went, desperate to know he wasn't right.

When he got to the shoulders, something happened. Ed froze for barely a fraction of a second, then suddenly, Roy felt himself being flipped to top, him kneeling between Ed's legs.

"Let's…do it this way," Ed panted, his voice low and withdrawn.

And Roy knew right away why Ed had done this because he had done it time and time before. Only now, Roy knew what the cause was.

It was him. Something about _him_ made Ed feel uncomfortable, made Ed feel withdrawn, made Ed want to hide his flaws and vulnerability.

Roy cleared his throat, his mind racing to say something. This was wrong, and it was definitely his fault.

But Ed was pushing him on, radiating his disapproval of the silence.

So instead…Roy continued.

* * *

Hours later and Roy was still awake, unseeingly staring at the ceiling. Edward was curled up in the blankets, bangs plastered to his sweaty forehead, his breathing calm and peaceful.

See…he was at peace. Roy hadn't done anything wrong.

He had tried to convince himself of that, but it felt like lead in his stomach and sand in his eyes. Telling Edward the automail didn't bother him wouldn't be a big deal, but having to voice the sentiment alone was a sign he'd failed.

He groaned in frustration, his anger directed towards himself. All the times he had teased Edward about his height, his looks, his automail…it was no wonder he felt self-conscious about it now!

And he couldn't just fix it with kind words and half-lidded eyes, either…Roy had tormented him for years and years about it, his own need for a laugh in the day blinding him to the damaged he had done. That trust was gone, a fleeting little thing that he had probably never had.

And really, was there anything he _could _do? He couldn't just up and say it out of the blue—that'd be a slap to the face for Edward, who probably just assumed he was doing a good enough job of concealing it that Roy simply didn't notice. Edward didn't want to _make_ it an issue, which was probably why he had all but ignored Roy while his leg was broken; because the leg _was_ an issue, one that he didn't want in the forefront of Roy's mind.

He closed his eyes.

Selfishly…he wished he'd saved Ed from falling on the steps that day, from cracking his automail, from revealing the ugly truth.

For the truth was a bitch, and one that he simply couldn't handle.


	6. No More Hiding

Title: No More Hiding  
Author: drummerdancer  
Series: AU  
Characters/Pairings: Roy/Ed, Alphonse, mention of Maes  
Word Count: 2800 total (4x100, 2400)  
Rating: T/M  
Summary: In which Roy forces Ed to face his insecurities. Continuation of 'The Ugly Truth'.

* * *

The snow continued to fall outside, the soft flakes sharp and daggered against his pale skin. In a different lifetime, and with a different man, Roy might've been childish enough to stick his tongue out and catch the falling precipitation, tasting its coolness inside his mouth.

…But this _wasn't_ a different lifetime, and the man's company he so longed for was dead, his life ended by a single bullet. No matter how far he progressed up the ranks or improved his alchemic abilities…the truth was still a bleak and lifeless corpse, handing over his head like the reaper's scythe.

* * *

The laughter of two boys made Roy turn to his side. Some fifty feet away, Edward and Alphonse were throwing snowballs at one another, the site of which was made all the more comical when one noticed the outlandish snow forts made from alchemy. In fact…Roy squinted…the snowballs looked just a little _too _round to be considered manmade either.

Edward was laughing as he dodge yet another one of Alphonse's attacks, his blond hair glowing gold against the white landscape. Roy wondered if Edward would ever show that side to him, or if that too was already gone.

* * *

After awhile, both young men put down their weapons and came together to build a snowman. Roy watched, his legs going numb against the park bench, as a series of claps and blue lights echoed against the cold earth. The sounds ebbed and flow—one minute they would be building, the next stepping back and pointing out flaws and changes in the rough product. It was a slow process—though faster than without alchemy, Roy supposed, and by the time they were finished, a noticeable limp had formed in Ed's leg.

The three of them left the park soon after.

* * *

Alphonse left after dinner, complaining that he needed to get back in time for work tomorrow morning and the like. Roy and Ed both bid him farewell, with Roy shaking his hand and the latter pulling him into a brotherly hug. After he left, Roy felt an inexplicable chill enter the room, though he wasn't sure if it was from the cold of the front door or his own uneasiness about Edward.

Regardless, Roy decided he couldn't take it anymore. Turning to Ed, he asked if he wanted to go to bed; a single 'sure' and they left the room.

* * *

Safe under the cover of darkness, Roy snaked his hand out, eager to touch, to feel, to confess, all at once he hoped. Words were meaningless without feeling; if he was to have Edward trust him, it would have to start with action, not empty words void of value.

His hands met soft fabric made of cotton; he immediately latched on and pulled, the body of which came with it. Though, to say it was willing would be understatement; Edward was young, and he desired the feel of flesh against flesh much the same as Roy did when he was that age.

Fisting Ed's shirt in his hand, Roy lifted himself up and over Ed's body, hovering over him as he twisted the fabric in the center of Ed's chest. He kissed him hard, delighting in the way Ed latched on to his mouth, how warm and eager he was to give love, in hopes that some might be thrown his way in return.

That thought hurt Roy more than he cared to admit; Edward should've never had to fight for his approval, his praise, his love…

It had been there since day one, when he saw that broken child in Resembool all those years ago, his eyes subdued yet still flickering, like a fire that simply refused to extinguish.

And then, over the years, that fire had rekindled and grown stronger, overcoming obstacle after obstacle, until finally, when the day arrived and he reached his final goal…that fire had been as bright as the sun, blinding all as their hearts and eyes welled up with tears filled with joy…and happiness.

That was what Edward was. He was Roy's happiness, and one he had taken for granted and under appreciated for far too long.

"_Edward_…" he breathed, breaking the kiss as his teeth grazed his earlobe. The body beneath him shivered against his chest. He breathed deeply against Ed's ear, his right hand now twisting the shirt up towards Ed's neck as his left rested to the side of his head, holding Roy upright for balance.

Without saying anything, Roy tried to slide the shirt up off Ed's head; and, like he was expecting, Ed startled, freezing up for a second before the tactical side of him kicked in and played it off. Roy felt him try to get up, to change the position and distract Roy from his task; but today, he wasn't going to be deterred.

Using Ed's momentum against him, Roy let himself be rolled to bottom, keeping his hand tightly twisted in the shirt as he did so. Then, just as Ed started to straighten, Roy yanked, ripping the shirt off and dropping it to the floor.

He felt a violent jerk in his lap, a sign that Ed had been completely thrown by the action. Roy felt kind of bad for the surprise, but he felt even worse about Ed thinking he had to hide his body from Roy. Taking control of the started younger man, Roy pushed off one of his hands and sat up against the headboard, pulling Edward along with him.

Grabbing his naked shoulders, Roy kissed him on the mouth again, though this time, more softly. Edward was tense in his lap, his naked torso exposed even under the cover of darkness. Roy could only imagine the turmoil going on inside his head; he was probably afraid Roy had simply forgotten that he was half metal, that his shoulder was cold to the touch, that the moment Roy remembered, the intimacy would be ruined.

All of that was Roy's fault, and he refused to love only half of Ed, even if Ed thought that's what he wanted. Pulling on his braid, Roy tilted Ed's head upward, kissing and sucking his way down his neck, his path heading for the metal arm. Again, Ed tensed, though he didn't speak, just waited for what—it seemed he thought—was the impending downfall of the arm.

A sudden thought occurred to Roy, though, as he reached the crook of Ed's neck and headed for the lining of skin and metal; did that area hurt? Were those scars painful? And—an even worser thought occurred to him—if they were indeed painful, had Ed been trying to actually physically protect himself from Roy touching him there? Was this whole ordeal about trust actually just inside his head?

"Ed. We need to talk." Because truthfully, they did. He had never tried to touch Ed's scarring, and in light of recent events, the amount Roy knew about the automail was painfully limited and scarce. It was clear as day that there was an issue, but to what extent and where the blame laid—Roy didn't know.

"You're breaking the rules, k'now…" Ed breathed, his voice labored and thick. Roy chuckled; his fetish for talking during sex had long since gone unfilled as Ed had been insistent that they not talk while 'doing it'. But regardless, the blond did hear the seriousness in his voice, for he too stopped his unnoticed caresses to Roy's neck and sternum.

"I…I want to touch your scarring," he said quietly, not really entirely sure if the wording came out right. He suspected Ed might take a little offense at his choice of words, though there were no prettier words to be said about it.

Edward outwardly flinched in his lap, going as far as to slide several inches back from him on Roy's legs. "No uh…you don't need to do that," Edward said quickly, hurriedly, like the thought was fire on his skin. Ed's hands immediately pulled away from Roy, wrapping unconsciously around himself as if to shield his upper nudity.

Roy was quick to act, though. He immediately bent his knees sharply, forcing Ed to scoot back towards him as he embraced the young man's body, closing Ed's own arms around himself like a straight jacket. But he wasn't trying to trap Edward, even if his actions said otherwise.

"I want to touch them…unless—are they painful?" He was speaking gently now, Ed's forehead pressed into his shoulder as he smoothed his palms against Edward's back and spine. The automail arm was pressing into his naked sternum; it _was_ cold, though he made no mention of it because he didn't care so long as Edward was happy and safe in his arms.

"…no, they don't hurt…," Edward mumbled. His voice was so very quiet, and Roy, for a second, thought that he was being lied to. But he decided to drop that line of thought in favor of more questioning, because he was going to get the truth out regardless.

"Then why don't you want me to touch you there?"

Edward didn't respond at first, instead keeping his forehead pressed against Roy's shoulder. His back was stiff, a sure sign that whatever had him quiet was stressing him out; Roy began to massage the shoulder blades, taking his time to work out the tenseness as he waited for Edward to speak.

When Edward finally did speak, it was hushed, quiet even against a room filled with shallow breathing and silence. Roy leaned his head forward, resting his chin on Ed's shoulder as he listened, his heart twisting in his chest as he did so.

"I just want to be normal," he breathed quietly. "I just—I want to pretend that I'm _not_ me—that I don't—that I'm not…" Edward trailed off, but Roy immediately saw the word he had refused to say. _Disfigured._ It left Roy cold, knowing that after all these years, Edward _still_ felt bad about his body.

He tightened his grip on Edward's back, pushing him closer to his chest, as if that act alone would shield him from the pain. All the while, Edward continued on.

"And besides, you wouldn't want to touch there anyway. I mean, I only do it when I'm showering—and it feels weird as fuck. Nothing sexy about it." A harsh chuckle escaped his throat, and Roy wondered if perhaps he was threading a thin line between laughing and sobbing. He had no idea Edward felt so strongly about it—which is why it was important he rid him of that thought as soon as he could.

Sighing quietly, Roy ran a finger down Ed's back all the way down to the waistline of his boxers. Edward's legs were pressed against the sides of his torso—one flesh, one metal. He didn't seem distressed about that at all—and in fact, he had virtually no qualms with Roy removing his boxers when the time came. Yet, when the leg was broken…Edward had completely shut down, not wanting to communicate or nothing. So then…what was the correlation, if not that Edward didn't trust him, then…?

It suddenly clicked for Roy, and he nearly startled when he realized it. It was not that Ed didn't trust him, because if he hadn't, Edward wouldn't have ever come to his place in the first place. It was the act of trying to appear competent, normal, able to do everything that everyone else could—that was the true issue. Even as a twelve-year-old, fresh in the military…Edward had always conveyed himself in that manner, going to great lengths to hide the automail and do adult things that should've been well beyond his means.

It made sense, then, that this trait would carry over to the bedroom. The leg was practically a nonissue; he wasn't a 'foot-person', so to speak, and he hardly ever grabbed anywhere lower than Ed's upper thighs. It made sense that it didn't bother him in this situation—he didn't need it. But it had bothered him when it was broken and he couldn't walk. Walking was a part of daily living, and the fact that it had so suddenly broken, leaving him stranded—it would've definitely have been a hard pill to swallow, especially around his lover.

Was that it, then? Edward didn't want to feel embarrassed around him? Or…was it shame he felt? Shame in his abilities, his injuries, his body…

"Edward…you don't have to hide from me," he whispered quietly, his hands pressed against Ed's warm lower back. "If I didn't want you—_all_ of you—you wouldn't be in my bed right now, sitting on my lap."

When Edward didn't reply, Roy continued. "I don't think any less of you because of the automail. In fact—I admire you more _because_ of it. You're the only person alive that I know could withstand such a thing, at such a young age—and still move forward and help others. You're…_amazing_…and you deserve to feel love—automail in all. Please…don't hide from me…"

Edward was silent for a little while, giving Roy no sign on whether or not he had heard. Roy vaguely wondered if perhaps he had put him to sleep with the way he was circling his fingers on Ed's ribs and breathing warm air down his neck—but then, Edward moved. He pushed back against Roy, pressing his palms into the mattress, looking to get up…and Roy felt like everything had been lost.

But Edward didn't get up. He sat there a moment, sitting on Roy's lap, his face hidden by the darkness. Then he spoke.

"Okay."

His voice was quiet and withdrawn, yet Roy could also detect the faintest glimpse of hope behind it. Edward was nervous, he was _sure_ Roy would be disgusted by it…but a small part of him must've also wanted to believe that Roy wouldn't be, that Roy would be true to his words and love him just the same as before.

Breathing in slowly, Roy grabbed Ed's chin with his left hand and kissed him, a welcome familiarity in this new situation. Edward responded by parting his lips, letting Roy do what he wanted to his mouth. All the while, Roy let his right hand come back to Ed's front, pressing lightly against the tanned skin of his abdominal before he reached what he knew was the start of the scarring.

Keeping Edward occupied, Roy lightly touched the skin there. Ed had been right; the skin was mangled and twisted and raised in such a way that Roy had no doubt must've been extremely painful when it was new. But the sole fact that Ed was _allowing_ it to happen, that he was _trusting_ him with his vulnerability—Roy couldn't help but love him all that much more.

Breaking their kiss, Roy made a nosedive for the skin around the top of his shoulder. He kissed it softly at first, listening for any protest from Edward before he continued. Ed's breathing was shallow and short, a sign that it must have been somewhat pleasant, if not, at least not unbearable. He didn't dare break the new silence between them though; words paled in comparison to action, and he wasn't one to back down from a task in any case.

Taking his time, he licked and sucked his way along the scarring, taking a great deal of pleasure when a breathy moan escaped Ed's lips. Anytime Ed voiced his approval—be it with a moan or a gasp or a kiss—the alpha male in Roy became aggressive, wanting that much more to love and dominate the figure on his lap. Excitement coursed through his veins like adrenaline, pushing him on until there was nothing left but tired bodies and messy sheets, all twisted with love and lust and everything Roy had always wanted in his life.

Only Edward was more. He was life and sin mixed into one, a figure at odds with nature who fought to _keep_ nature in balance, as paradoxical as it seemed. And he was something that Roy would never give up, no matter how wrong or right it was. Because he was selfish beyond belief, and he knew that nobody deserved Edward—not even him. And nobody would love Edward like he would, nobody would see the young man as the beautiful and perfect person that he was. Because he was perfect, mangled scars and all, and as Roy sat there hours later, playing with the yellow strands of gold clutching his chest—he knew that there was absolutely no shame in the truth of it.

None at all.


	7. He Never Learned

Title: He Never Learned  
Author: drummerdancer  
Series: AU  
Characters/Pairings: Roy/Ed  
Word Count: 600 total (6x100)  
Rating: T  
Summary: Edward never learned.

* * *

Ed settled comfortably into his favorite chair, drawing his knees up and open as he wrapped a blanket around his shoulders. The hot chocolate he'd made was sitting on the coffee table, steam still rising from the surface.

He waited a moment or two, then decided to test his luck with the beverage. Raising the mug to his lips, he cursed when the liquid entered much too quickly.

"Fuck that's hot!" he yelped, pulling the drink away as he gingerly touched the roof of his mouth with his tongue. He grimaced; the same thing happened yesterday, too.

He never learned.

* * *

Grabbing his book from the floor, Edward hunched down under the blanket. He let the sheet fall forward, covering his forehead like a cape. He was sure it looked rather foolish; but, it also kept the heat in, and until Roy got back and started the fire, Edward would have to make do with what he had.

Opening the book, Edward was reminded that he _could_ start the fire without Roy's help; a few claps and it'd be done.

But he always hesitated to do it. Fire was, after all, Roy's thing, not his.

And besides, it wasn't that cold.

* * *

Edward didn't hear the doorbell ring, nor did he hear the sound of heavy boots approaching. He did, however, feel the chill of cool lips brush against the corner of his mouth, the scent of smoke and spice heating up the wet spot on his face.

"I'll light the fire," Roy whispered, his voice warm and appreciative.

Edward nodded, his insides twisting weirdly in his stomach as he watched Roy head for the hearth. He didn't know much about social cues, but his gut was telling him that he'd done something right.

He smiled, his hand lingering on his cheek.

* * *

After the fire was lit, Roy kicked his boots off and removed his uniform jacket. Leaving them both by the fire, he walked over to Edward. His face was tired but happy, an unfortunately rarer sight as of late.

Edward smiled shyly at him; he didn't want to scowl since Roy appeared to be in a good mood, but smiling? It was still…awkward for him.

Roy, however, appeared to appreciate the sentiment. Hooking his hands under Ed's thighs, Roy lifted him in the air.

"I think you've read enough for today."

Edward let the book fall from his hands.

* * *

Settling down by the fireplace, Edward let Roy do with him what he wanted, grimacing only slightly when Roy sucked on his tongue.

"What's wrong?" Roy asked.

"I…burnt my tongue on the damn hot chocolate," Edward muttered, his face red with embarrassment.

Roy laughed. "Well then…maybe we should skip this part?"

Edward rolled his eyes, but nodded all the same as he felt hands diving under his shirt. He watched, his eyes softening as the fire's shadows danced between their forms, giving their bodies an almost golden, hazy kind of look.

He concludes he really liked Roy's fires.

* * *

Wrapped in the blanket from earlier, Edward rested the back of his head against Roy's chest and watched the slowly dying fire, his body still warm in its afterglow.

"What are you staring at, Edward?" asked the body behind him.

He shrugged. "The fire. It's…kinda beautiful, y'know?"

Roy stiffened behind him, the hand holding Ed's bicep going from relaxed to tense almost instantly.

Edward sighed, the good mood evaporating just like that as he excused himself to go shower. He always said the wrong things, it seemed.

Closing the bathroom door, Edward leaned against the door.

He never learned.


	8. Tree Decorating

Title: Tree Decorating  
Author: drummerdancer  
Series: AU  
Characters/Pairings: Roy/Ed  
Word Count: 600 total (6x100)  
Rating: T  
Summary: Edward wanted to decorate the tree.

* * *

"Be careful, Ed! Those things are fragile!"

Roy knew it wasn't technically his fault. Really, he did. Even with two flesh and blood hands, hanging ornaments on those tiny hooks was sometimes tricky.

Still, the carelessness by which Ed was trying to sling the glass bulbs onto the tree branches was unacceptable. Especially since a lot of these balls had sentimental value.

Edward scowled. "What difference does it make? If I drop one, I can fix it."

"Or you could be more careful," Roy reminded him, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.

He huffed and grabbed another ornament. "Whatever."

* * *

Edward plopped down next to him nearly an hour later, his sleeves slightly torn and covered with evergreen bristles. He smelled very nature-y, like he'd been running in a forest. Roy decided he liked it.

"There. All done," Ed breathed, wiping at his forehead dramatically. He stretched his legs out lazily, resting them on the coffee table covered in boxes filled with unused ornaments and Christmas decorations.

Roy rolled his eyes, his attention shifting back to the unsigned paperwork in his lap. However, before he could, something caught his eye…

"Ed. You missed the top half of the tree."

* * *

As it turned out, even Roy himself couldn't reach the top third of the tree. Hanging the ornament on the last branch he could reach, Roy stepped back and turned, his expression turning sour as Ed sat there, smug, staring at him from the couch.

"See? I'm not that short."

Roy snorted and walked over to the table. "I still reached more than you could."

"Whatever. So what about the last part? How're we going to reach it?"

Roy frowned, his hand on his chin in thought. Then, an idea struck him. Roy knelt down on his knees.

"Hop on."

* * *

As it turned out, balancing on two legs with a heavy alchemist atop his shoulders wasn't the easiest task in the world. Especially when said alchemist also had equally bad balance.

"Woah!" Ed yelped, his upper body falling backwards off Roy's shoulders.

Roy stepped back quickly, compensating for Ed's backward momentum to keep upright. "Stop flailing around, Ed, and hang the damn ornaments!"

Edward yanked on Roy's hair to regain his balance, causing Roy to curse as his scalp screamed in pain. "This isn't as easy as you think, Roy!"

Roy pinched his exposed toe. "Just hurry up, would you?"

* * *

Decorating the final third of the tree took far longer than either of the two men would've guessed. From Roy awkwardly bending over the coffee table to grab another ornament, to Edward holding his hands out like a tight-rope walker as he fought to stay balanced while hanging another decoration, the task was finally finished twenty minutes later.

After letting Ed off, Roy rolled his shoulders, hissing as blood rushed back into the crushed muscles. He'd be sore for a week, he grimaced.

But Edward was happy, his eyes shining as he looked affectionately at the tree.

"It's perfect."

* * *

The tree glowed like a miniature sun in their dim living room, sucking all the light to its corner as they admired it from the couch. Roy had pulled his shirt over his head, letting Ed massage the tense shoulders to pudding as they stared.

"That thing's going be a bitch to take down later, y'know?" Roy muttered, his voice rough as Ed moved his fingers lower on his back. "Definitely not looking forward to that."

"But was it worth it?" Ed asked, his voice light and hopeful.

Roy smiled.

"Of course. Anything you want is always worth it, Ed."


	9. The Silent Jealous Type

Title: The Silent Jealous Type  
Author: drummerdancer  
Verse: None  
Characters/Pairings: Roy/Ed, other(s)  
Word Count: 1300 total (5x100, 800)  
Rating: T  
Summary: Edward didn't want to go. Naturally, Roy found somebody else to take instead.

* * *

"You want to go to a _ballet_?"

"It's not just _any _ballet, Edward," Roy scolded, turning away from him as he wiped another glass dry. They were in the kitchen, cleaning up after breakfast, when Roy had suddenly remembered that _The Nutcracker_ was playing in the Central City Theatre later that night. Of course, getting Ed to go…well…

"Yeah, I'll pass. Later," Edward waved, grabbing his jacket as he head for the front door.

Not a minute later, Roy heard the door slam shut, leaving him to sigh and ponder on who else would want to go with him.

* * *

Not a single member of his office staff voiced enthusiasm about the ballet. Not even Hawkeye, who's taste in art differed only slightly from his own, wanted to go.

He sighed, sinking lowly into his leather seat in his inner office. He absolutely _loved_ going to plays and social gatherings, but he could _not_ go by himself. That was unheard of, especially for a man of his status and reputation.

Grabbing the phone, Roy dialed a number. It rang twice, then a low, smoky voice on the other end picked up.

"What can I get for ya, Roy?"

He smiled.

* * *

As it turned out, Vanessa was free that evening and more than happy to accompany him to the ballet. After thanking Madame Christmas for the date, Roy hung up and made arrangements for the outing. While he didn't consider the event a 'date-date', he still needed to do things for appearance's sake.

He dialed a couple more numbers, arranging for tickets and a driver as he felt a sudden wave of unease wash him.

Should he have asked Edward if this was okay? Surely he didn't mind Roy finding someone else to go with, right?

The thought nagged him.

* * *

After work, Roy dropped by the apartment to change. Upon finding the front door unlocked, the thought from earlier popped into his head, reminding him that he needed to say something about his non-date to Edward.

Opening and closing the door behind him, his plan soon derailed, however, as he heard the shower start up down the hall. Edward was notorious for taking longer-than-necessary showers, and Roy didn't have time to wait around for him to finish. Changing into some dressy but casual attire, Roy quickly scrawled out a note and left it on the kitchen table.

* * *

The ballet was as wonderful as he'd remembered. Even though the dancers were different every year, the story and memories always remained, trudging up nostalgia in Roy's chest as he watched, his eyes only occasionally leaving the stage when Vanessa whispered a comment or two in his ear. She wasn't particularly witty, but every now and then, she pointed out something on stage that made him smile. And she was better than an empty seat, that was for sure.

The performance ran a total of two hours. After it ended, Roy dropped Vanessa off and headed home in high spirits.

* * *

The door was still unlocked when Roy finally made it in. The sun had long past set, giving the entryway to the apartment an almost ominous glow. There were no sounds of movement or motion; only the ticking of the clock on the wall notified him of any life at all existing in the closed space.

Roy removed his shoes and hung his coat up in the hall closet, then risked a glance in the study to see if Edward was working.

The study was empty, leaving Roy to assume Edward had already gone to bed. He sighed; he hadn't had a chance to speak to him since that morning, and while that wasn't unusual on any given day, Roy still had a bad feeling running up his spine.

Exiting the study, Roy walked down the hallway and opened the master bedroom door. The lights were completely off when he entered, though the light coming from the hallway briefly illuminated the room as he left it open and peered in.

Edward was indeed in the bed, sleeping, his body still and unmoving. Roy almost left it at that before a single detail struck him as odd; Edward was on his right side, facing _away_ from the middle. As far as Roy knew, Edward _never _slept on that side; the automail would press into his sleeping body, after all, making it difficult to sleep. It wouldn't be an easy position to rest in.

Glancing closer, Roy also noticed Edward's body lacked the relaxed, even breathing of a person in deep sleep. Sure, his chest was still rising and falling like a normal human being's would; but it was halted, like it was _consciously_ being controlled.

Which meant Edward was awake.

And he was pretending not to be.

Roy furrowed his brow but said nothing as he shut the door and walked over to the dresser to change. The darkness of the room made it somewhat difficult, but it was easier to think when he knew his thoughts weren't being watched by anyone, awake or pretending not to be. He grabbed a pair of baggy sweats and changed into them, ever aware that Edward was silent.

After using the bathroom, Roy slid underneath the covers, his breathing low as he tried to figure out why Edward was avoiding him. Was he upset? Did Roy do something wrong?

But Edward remained still, his body language unknown under the cover of darkness.

This continued for all of five minutes before Roy became fed up with the silent treatment and decided to take action. Slipping his arms around Ed's waist, Roy pressed his chest into Edward's warm back. Roy felt him startle against him, a clear sign Edward hadn't been prepared for any confrontation at all. Which was good…or bad.

"Edward. I know you're awake."

A moment's pause, then the fakest damn yawn Roy had ever heard in his life erupted from the blond, his back stretching lazily against him as if he'd truly been woken up.

"Hm…did you say something?" he breathed, his voice tinged with none of the tell-tale signs of sleep.

Roy squeezed his arms gently around Edward.

"You were already awake. Don't try to pretend."

It took a moment for his companion to decide whether or not to give in, but when he did, Edward exhaled and relaxed a bit, his act abandoned.

"Yeah…I was."

"Is something wrong?"

"…no." Edward's voice was tight and uncomfortable, and Roy could spot the lie almost immediately. He groaned; sometimes, extracting the truth from Edward was like pulling teeth.

"Are you sure nothing's wrong?" he asked.

Edward shrugged. "Yeah…uh, how was your evening?"

"It was fine…except that you weren't in it." And that was the very truth of it; no matter who came along, Edward was always his preferred company. Nobody could top his wit, his humor, his insight…he was the total package, hands down.

If there had been even the faintest of light, Roy was almost positive he would've seen a vivid red on Ed's cheeks; he always blushed at compliments, no matter how many times Roy repeated himself.

"Oh…um, well…would you want to go again? Like, tomorrow maybe?"

Roy couldn't help but smile at the request. "I'd love to…but I thought ballets weren't your thing?"

"I never said that! Just…I don't want you going to that kind of stuff with anyone else but me, you hear?" By this point, Edward had squirmed out of Roy's hold and was turned back inwards, his arms wrapping around Roy's waist as his face was centimeters away.

Roy would've never pinned Edward as the silent jealous type…but he wasn't complaining in the slightest. If it meant Edward would go to the ballet with him…

"Deal."


	10. A House We Can Decorate

Title: A House We Can Decorate  
Author: drummerdancer  
Verse: None  
Characters/Pairings: Roy/Ed  
Word Count: 1000 total (500:400:100)  
Rating: T  
Summary: Nobody decorated their offices for Christmas...except for Roy.

* * *

Of all the things Edward could be doing at the moment…he groaned. Decorating Roy's office was _not_ one of them.

"Roy, this is ridiculous!" he exhaled for the thousandth time that evening. He had a cord of garland wrapped around one arm, a festive bear in his hand, and a red hat with a white ball attached to the end on his head. Foolish was an understatement to how he felt.

Roy, meanwhile, was standing on a chair in the center of the room replacing the light fixture with what looked like a medley of colored bulbs randomly glued together to look 'festive'. Again, rather ridiculous in Ed's opinion.

"It's called 'getting into the holiday spirit', Edward," Roy scolded lightly, his concentration directed at the now lopsided-looking piece of art. Even with the added height of the chair, Roy was still struggling to reach around to attach the other end.

Edward walked over, his hands outstretched. "Where do you want this stuff?"

"Um…" Roy looked down, his hands still placed on the light. "How about…," Roy nodded his head to the left, "over there?"

"Yeah, okay." Edward sulked over to the bookshelf Roy had pointed to, dropping the bear and garland down roughly as figured out how to make a shelving unit look 'festive'.

He first tried pooling the leafy green stuff around the bear's neck like a scarf since it was cold out, but abandoned the idea when it appeared the bear was suffocating. Then he tried roping the garland between the books but rejected that idea, too, when he realized the green stuff was bending the loose pages down. Finally, he tried hanging the garland down from the top of the bookshelf but quickly realized that he wasn't quite…tall enough to reach.

"Ugh, Roy! Can you ge—"

A loud _crash_ echoed behind him. Ed turned around, then—

"Oh my god, Roy! Are you okay?!"

Roy had obviously fallen by the looks of it. Pieces of shattered glass were littered around the upturned chair, their various colors a mosaic against the plain carpet floor. Half of the remaining light structure was dangling from the ceiling wildly, dangerously close to flying off like its other half.

Edward, however, only had eyes for the man clutching his bleeding fingertips together. He couldn't tell how deep some of the shards were, but Ed imagined it must be painful. Roy tried to put his hands on the ground to stand, but Edward quickly intercepted him.

"Don't do that, idiot. You'll just get more glass in your hands."

Edward swatted Roy's fingers away and clapped his own gloved hands. Instantly, the pieces of broken glass were picked up and transmuted into a glass ball (since Edward had absolutely no clue how to create the 'masterpiece' Roy had earlier) and rolled out of the way. Roy said a quick 'thanks' before getting to his feet and heading for the men's bathroom to wash up.

Edward followed, closing the door behind them quickly.

* * *

The tiny glass shards hadn't been all that deep. Transmuting his automail index finger and thumb into thinly shaped tweezers, Edward held Roy's hands face-up as he picked out pieces and threw them in the trash.

"This is just God's way of telling you decorating the office is a bad idea," he droned on, his lecture lost as he concentrated on his task. "Nobody in the entire world decorates their military office besides you."

"Nobody likes Christmas as much as I do!" Roy replied in a rebuttal, though his defense was somewhat muted as he cringed when a deeper piece of glass was tugged on. "Besides, why _shouldn't_ I decorate the office?"

"Oh gee I don't know…because _this_ might happen!" Edward yanked another piece out, relishing only slightly in the pained look that crossed Roy's face. "And seriously, isn't the apartment enough for you? It looks like the inside of Santa's workshop or something!"

Roy grinned, earning him another harsh _yank_ as another piece of bloodied glass fell into the waste basket. "Just wait until we get a house. It'll put the entire North Pole to shame."

Edward paused. _A house?_ Did that mean what he thought that meant?

Roy seemed to realize his slip-up, too, as he quickly backpedaled. "Uh, that is…when the time is right. Er, I mean, _if_ the time comes around…"

"Ah…so the bastard wants to get serious, eh?" Edward gave him his best cocky-smirk face that he could, but inside, his heart was beating rapidly against his ribs. He had always hoped Roy would want to make their arrangement permanent, but to hear him talk about getting an actual house…well. He just really wanted it to happen now that he knew it _could _happen.

"Uh…well…do you?" Roy asked, his expression suddenly very cautious and guarded, like he was equally afraid that Edward would reject the idea.

But Edward wouldn't reject this for all the Christmas presents in the world. Rather than give him a verbal answer, Edward simply tugged Roy's hands towards him, leaning up to give him a chaste kiss on the side of the neck, then higher until he reached a pair of warm lips eager for his own.

The kiss was brief, for there was no way to know when somebody would suddenly pop in.

But for them, the kiss said it all.

* * *

Years later, Edward would fondly look back on that moment as he sat by the roaring fireplace in the living room, drinking hot chocolate and reading a new book Roy had gotten him for Christmas that year. And he'd look around the house and smile at all the ridiculous decorations, mentally preparing himself for the long weekend in which they'd have to take them all down.

But it was worth it, he reminded himself, as he sipped another mouthful and turned the page, the fire's light dancing across the text.

Roy was worth it, no matter how ridiculous that was.


End file.
